1358: Parts of a Body House by Erika Meitner - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode: 1358 – “Parts of a Body House” by Erika Meitner
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: September 23, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, host Maggie Smith reflects on the evolving relationship between technology and our perception of our physical selves. Smith explores how modern technology affects the way we see, understand, and value our bodies—both from the inside and through others’ eyes. She introduces and discusses Erika Meitner's poem “Parts of a Body House,” which meditates on embodiment, self-perception, and the intimate minutiae of daily, physical existence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Impact of Technology on Body Awareness

Tech & Self-Perception:
Maggie Smith begins by considering how technology has transformed our relationships with our bodies and self-image.
- Devices now track sleep, steps, heart rate—data constantly accessible without a doctor.
- Constant self-imaging: “I know that technology has made me more aware of my body and my face because I see myself so often on Zoom, on FaceTime, in selfies.” (03:00)
Teaching & Self-Observation:
Smith contrasts in-person versus virtual teaching:
- In-person, her gaze is outward; online, she inevitably becomes conscious of her own image.
- “That awareness adds another layer to the experience, a layer I'm relieved to shed when my events are in person.” (04:00)

2. Difference Between Self-Perception and How Others See Us

Smith notes the inherent limits in how we perceive ourselves—mirrors show a reversed image; only others see “the real” us.
- “The people in our lives literally see something different when they look at us than what we see in the mirror.” (04:35)
- Love as interpretation: “I'm sure I see a different kind of beauty in the people I love than they see in themselves. Maybe part of loving others is helping them see that beauty.” (04:49)

3. Introduction to Today’s Poem

Smith frames Erika Meitner’s poem as a contemplation of self-regard and physical presence:
- “Today's poem considers how we regard ourselves, our physical selves. It's a poem I love, a poem that I see a lot of beauty in.” (05:02)

Featured Poem: “Parts of a Body House” by Erika Meitner

Full poem read aloud, offering a sensory-rich meditation on embodiment detoured by technology and fleeting moments:

“I've never received an eviction notice. These days I shake uncontrollably every time I think of the tactile universe… In bed, in first light, I turned toward my own visage and the reverse setting on my phone camera arrows flipped outside. Now I take photos of everything insignificant. Ragweed, roadside forsythia, dandelion clocks overrunning a drainage ditch. Ghost seed.” (05:16–06:40)

Key Themes in the Poem:
- Disconnection and longing for tactile experience
- The mediation of daily perception through technology (“reverse setting on my phone camera”)
- Attention to small, often ignored details—ragweed, dandelions, cicadas
- The body as a lived-in space, likened to a house on the market (“I talk to my body like it’s a house on the market.”)
Memorable Lines:
- “When my mouth opens, there are sucking parts.”
- “This is not a plague of locusts with their pharaoh pharaoh call. This is our promised summer.”
- “Someone has waved the inspection. Someone has made an offer far above asking.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

Maggie Smith on Technology & Self:
- “I’m aware of myself as a physical being. That awareness adds another layer to the experience, a layer I’m relieved to shed when my events are in person.” (03:55)
On How We See Each Other:
- “The people in our lives see us differently than we see ourselves. If we are lucky, they look at us with love and deep interest and tenderness, and those feelings color the image.” (04:40)
On Loving Others & Beauty:
- “Maybe part of loving others is helping them see that beauty.” (04:52)
Opening line of Meitner’s Poem:
- “I've never received an eviction notice. These days I shake uncontrollably every time I think of the tactile universe.” (05:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

01:36 – Maggie Smith begins her reflection
03:00–04:00 – Effects of technology on body awareness and self-image
04:35–04:49 – Limits of self-perception vs. others’ gaze
05:02 – Introduction to the poem
05:16–06:40 – Full reading of “Parts of a Body House” by Erika Meitner

Tone and Style

Maggie Smith’s narration is gentle, contemplative, and empathetic. She speaks personally and accessibly, inviting the listener into reflection about their own relationship with self-image and attention.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode offers a resonant meditation on how technology changes the way we think about and see our bodies, and how poetry can reveal and heal some of the distance this brings. The poem “Parts of a Body House” enriches these thoughts by grounding them in sensory detail and emotional nuance, offering listeners a chance to pause and consider what it truly means to inhabit their bodies—alone and together.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
A
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[01:00]
B
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[01:37]
C
I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. It struck me recently how much technology has changed our relationships with our bodies. There are devices that tell us how well or poorly we slept the night before, how many steps we took in a given day, what our heart rate is. When we work out, we have access to more data about our physical selves than ever. And we don't even need to go to the doctor to get that data. We also have access to our own image. More than ever before, I know that technology has made me more aware of my body and my face because I see myself so often on Zoom, on FaceTime, in selfies. When I teach in a classroom, I'm looking at the students. When I give a talk in an auditorium or theater, I see the audience. My gaze is outward. But when I teach a workshop or speak virtually, I see myself doing it. I'm aware of myself as a physical being. That awareness adds another layer to the experience, a layer I'm relieved to shed when my events are in person. It's funny to think that we don't know what people see when they look at us. Not really. The only way we ever see ourselves is in reverse, a mirror image. The people in our lives literally see something different when they look at us than what we see in the mirror. The people in our lives see us differently than we see ourselves. If we are lucky, they look at us with love and deep interest and tenderness, and those feelings color the image. I'm sure I see a different kind of beauty in the people I love than they see in themselves. Maybe part of loving others is helping them see that beauty. Today's poem considers how we regard ourselves, our physical selves. It's a poem I love, a poem that I see a lot of beauty in Parts of a Body House By Erica Meitner I've never received an eviction notice. These days I shake uncontrollably every time I think of the tactile universe. It's been eons since my hands were peripatetic. Back then my body was a remote spaceship fueled by lust and network technology. In bed, in first light, I turned toward my own visage and the reverse setting on my phone camera arrows flipped outside. Now I take photos of everything insignificant. Ragweed, roadside forsythia, dandelion clocks overrunning a drainage ditch. Ghost seed. This year Brood X cicadas are emerging in swarm or celebration, depending on whom gets asked, entomologist or civilian. On subways I think of walking. When I walk, I think of trains. Radiant city your shine whips through me with machinic consistency. I talk to my body like it's a house on the market. When my mouth opens, there are sucking parts. This is not a plague of locusts with their pharaoh pharaoh call. This is our promised summer. Someone has waved the inspection. Someone has made an offer far above asking. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. To get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter and find us on Instagram atdowndownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org Foreign Maggie here, host of the Slowdown. Listening to and reading poetry helps us find our footing in an uncertain world, especially during challenging times. You can help keep these moments of poetry and reflection going by making a gift today. Visit slowdownshow. Org Donate.